Henry tripping RCD

[Bsmith]

Just bought a Henry wet/dry vacuum cleaner off the bay, it's only to use for cleaning the work bench and grinding grit off the shed floor, hmm, so anything it will pick up really.
Collected and seller told me it works fine, took his word, got it in the shed, switched on and about 5 secs later it tripped the rcd. Thought 13amp plug looked a bit dodgy, so changed it and shortend the mile long cable that came with it. Still trips rcd. I'll take it apart one of these days and check for shorts with continuity meter, but anything obvious to anyone like brushes or even motor u/s etc?

 

[angellonewolf]

theres not much to go wrong on them to be honest a moter and a couple of switches

i hope for your self its some thing silly as a striped/melted wire as if it the motor prob not be much you can do to it

 

[dobbslc]

If the seller didn't have RCD protection in his house it was probably working ok but with an earth fault, Henry is all plastic so he was unlikely to get a belt off it. Your RCD is finding an earth fault somewhere and as said above theres not much to go wrong.
Check the flex isn't damaged buy metering it between all all pins on the plug top, make sure the end at the motor head is disconnected first or you'll pick up the resistance in the motor windings. You should get pretty much open circuit readings between all pins.
If the motors cooked then you can buy the whole head units from fleabay for about £25.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Pop the lid.
That will expose the motor and a few screws will allow access to the switches. On/Off. Hi/low.

By pass them one at a time. That will prove or disprove if it is a doggy switch.

If it is the motor, junk it.

Henry hovers a 2 a penny.

Do you have a come back to the bay of flea seller, as it is defective?

 

[Bsmith]

He's not the common Henry, he's more like an industrial wet/ dry vac. I'll have a go at him soon with a screwdriver or two. If the motor is knacked I have a couple somewhere and will adapt one to fit.
Just thought someone mighta known the first to look for, but suppose best to check everything anyway.
Thanks for replies fellas.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Southwick car boot had one of them, all boxed, for £20.

A local builder buys them second hand, uses them until they die. I "acquire" some and bodge them up for a cheep workshop hover.

 

[WorkshopChris]

Your Henry is not a Henry he is a Charles.
http://cpc.farnell.com/numatic/cvc3...H5_P111AyqooJhmRPoYyFltpfiaw62OxoCV_wQAvD_BwE

 

[Bsmith]

Southwick car boot had one of them, all boxed, for £20.

A local builder buys them second hand, uses them until they die. I "acquire" some and bodge them up for a cheep workshop hover.

Yea that's what I'm after, just a rough and ready vac to clean grinding grit that gets everywhere.

 

[Bsmith]

Your Henry is not a Henry he is a Charles.
http://cpc.farnell.com/numatic/cvc3...H5_P111AyqooJhmRPoYyFltpfiaw62OxoCV_wQAvD_BwE

Ohh really, thanks Chris. He was sold to me as a Henry and I didn't know any different.

 

[armalites]

It will be worth looking at, you can buy all of the bits for them and there are very few vacuums out there that you can abuse like these things.

 

[brightspark]

I got a pink hetty given

 

[zx9]

I got a pink hetty given

You ought to convert it to 110V and use it on site. It would be a conversation starter and easy to recover if someone 'borrowed' her.

 

[MattF]

You ought to convert it to 110V and use it on site. It would be a conversation starter and easy to recover if someone 'borrowed' her.

Bad idea taking girly coloured stuff on site. Tried that, and they seem to get appropriated quicker than owt else. There's obviously a lot of wussy blokes out there.

 

[Bsmith]

Has it even got 3 core flex on it?

I've not seen any vac for years that hasn't got 2 core - given they're almost always double insulated and mainly plastic...

Just did a quick google and it seems they don't have an earth provision - so if someone has fitted an 18 mile cable and left the earth hanging...

Good point pdg, it's certainly a 3 core cable that I shortened and fitted a better plug top to than the plug that was on.

 

[brightspark]

I dont know where "plug top" comes from...its a plug...(sorry its just a pet peeve)

same here its a plug and it goes in to a socket

 

[Bsmith]

I dont know where "plug top" comes from...its a plug...(sorry its just a pet peeve)

Back in the 70s I worked on an oil terminal, elects there called them plug tops, on this occasion I copied off someone's reply thinking I was being smart using the correct definition. I normally call them a 13amp plug and every one seems to know what I'm talking about.

 

[Bsmith]

I'd whip the cover off - post a pic, see if I'm right or wrong - I'd like to know

Yes I will do when I get back at it.
Not ideal I know, but if I just undid the earth screw in the plug and cut the earth strand off leaving the L & N ?

 

[brightspark]

Yes I will do when I get back at it.
Not ideal I know, but if I just undid the earth screw in the plug and cut the earth strand off leaving the L & N ?

not a good idea and dangerous . u need to check in the machine to see whats going on

 

[Bsmith]

not a good idea and dangerous . u need to check in the machine to see whats going on

Ok BS.

 

[wookie]

And every time we have an electrical safety inspection the 'fully qualified electrician' asks where the plugs are.

For some reason, when I answer "on the end of the wire on every appliance" I get met with a blank stare and occasionally a tut...

They've stopped asking where the fusebox is though, which a shame because I sort of liked telling them it was removed in 1996.

You're a pedantic so-and-so aren’t you

Hopefully you'll take that as a compliment rather than an insult, I'm known for being a pedantic sod.